Sunrisers Eastern Cape claim 2024 SA20 title with historic 89-Run final win vs Durban Super Giants

 Sunrisers Eastern Cape secured a dominant victory over Durban Super Giants, winning by 89 runs in the final T20 match of SA20. Sunrisers Eastern Cape set an impressive total of 204/3 in 20 overs, with Tom Abell's standout performance of 55 runs in 34 balls. Durban's Super Giants struggled to chase the target, managing only 115 runs in 17 overs. Marco Jansen's exceptional bowling figures of 5/30 in 4 overs contributed to Sunrisers Eastern Cape's triumph. Player of the Match was awarded to Tom Abell for his stellar batting display.  

 Sunrisers Eastern Cape  successfully defended their title against Durban Super Giants 

Aiden Markram guided the Sunrisers Eastern Cape to a convincing SA20 championship defence. They defeated the Durban Supergiants with a strong performance at The Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday, February 10th. This was their second straight title in the SA20, after their win against the Pretoria Capitals in the first final in 2023.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape chose to bat first after winning the toss and were dealt an early setback when opener Dawid Malan was dismissed in the second over. However, they rebounded effectively due to a strong relationship between Jordan Hermann and Tom Abell. Skipper Aiden Markram and middle-order batsman Tristan Stubbs built on this foundation.

Stubbs batted quickly, scoring a quick fifty, while Markram came in late to help the club pass the 200-run mark in the final.

In the chase, the Supergiants' hopes were shattered early on, as they fell to 7-3 within the first five overs, with the new ball pacers causing havoc. Ottneil Baartman bowled the in-form Heinrich Klaasen for a golden duck, while Wiaan Mulder's 38 was the only significant contribution to an ultimately unsuccessful attempt.

All-rounder Marco Jansen scored a remarkable five-wicket haul as the Supergiants were bowled out for 115 runs in 17 overs, securing the Sunrisers' triumph.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape lost only two games all season. Despite a difficult start, with only one point from their first two matches, Markram's leadership powered the squad to domination. They swiftly recovered and went on an excellent winning streak, losing only once before earning first place in the league stage.

Their path to the tournament finals was sealed with a dominant victory in the first Qualifier, and they continued their winning streak in the finals.

Marco Jansen became the highest wicket-taker in the second season of SA20, overtaking his compatriot Ottneil Baartman. The promising left-arm spinner finished the season with 20 wickets and an impressive average of 14.30. Reflecting on his title victory, Jansen stated:

"Unbelievable from the guys, the way we batted and the way we bowled, very proud of the guys. The batters were superb today. We thought 180-185 was above par. It was all about executing our plans and obviously very stoked that we could execute all our plans," 

Ryan Rickleton of MI Cape Town, on the other hand, finishes the competition with the highest run total of 530 runs at an exceptional average of 58.88.